What is your focus for aging consciously?

Before you can age consciously, you need something to focus on.

Perhaps it is time to create something to grab your attention and for you to focus on purpose. You may be aging but you are not dead yet, and it has been proven that those who live with purpose live longer and happier lives.

Let’s make that our mission and focus. HAPPINESS

While health as our a concern as we get older, but there is something else that plays a much deeper role than just health on its own. That something is our happiness quotient. People who are happier tend to get sick less. People who are happier also live longer. Common sense most would say. The problem is that most people say it and agree to it but rarely practice it.

Being happy doesn’t mean you sit around smiling and laugh at everything, it goes much deeper. Many things in life that make us happy or say, that’s just how life happens. There are also times that put us into a downward spiral of despair.

These are times when it is really important for us to focus on being happy. No, that doesn’t mean that we can just be happy especially when things going on in our lives that make us feel just the opposite. It is our quotient of happiness that is the secret ingredient and surprise happiness like health doesn’t just happen, it too takes work.

Happiness truly is a state of mind. You can’t look for it. You can not chase it. Happiness lies within you. It starts with and ends with you and is the simplest of all to achieve.

But here is the hard part – it requires you to get back your true nature. So many people attempt to find happiness through their wealth, career, money and success. What they miss is that happiness is something that you choose for yourself.

So if it doesn’t come from outside ourselves, what must you do for you to happy with your life?

The fundamental rule to becoming happy is for you to remember that your true nature is to be full of enthusiasm, energy, and love. You must not compare yourself to other people. You are not them or like them. You are exceptional and unique, and you need to focus that uniqueness.

We all can find something about ourselves we don’t like. Instead of lamenting about how old you are put some effort into doing things that make you feel young.

And never put the blame on someone else for what you fee.l the only thing taking away from you being happy is you.

Let’s take a look at some of the things people think make them unhappy;

being alone

boredom

lack of energy

lack of resources

being sick

The list goes on and on, each of us could probably come up with 10 or more items to add but for let’s start with the first two and most common.

Being alone.

Loneliness is probably the number one complaint seniors have when the talk about feeling unhappy. Have your ever really thought about why you are alone? Perhaps you have lost a life long partner, or the kids have moved far away, or you are no long able to see your friends. Whatever reason you can think up, there is something inside you that can help fix it.

The loss of partner and friend, even not seeing the children means you now need not to replace but put in place other things that will fill the void. Which is a kind way of saying you need to get yourself up, out and about. Join a group and if mobility (driving, taking a taxi or bus) is an issue then get online and find one. I firmly being that there is not one of us seniors today who doesn’t have some computer skills even those limited to cellphones or tablets. And if you are short on the technology side, then find or start a group to help. Make your mantra – If it is to be it is up to me.

Being part of something not gives you a purpose but is also where you can rejuvenate your happiness quotient.

A short story here about my brother. He when into a seniors lodge when he was 70 and was feeling quite lonely because his kids lived on the other side of the country and I was always traveling for work. He stewed about it for awhile and then told me. I asked what he did all day, and he said he stayed in his room because there was nothing else for him to do and he didn’t know anyone. So I asked if they had an activity room. They did, but no one was ever doing anything there. I suggested he post on the activity board a challenge for people to join in something he liked to do. He did, and they responded, and he found a group that was happy to meet to do whatever it was they joined. The funny thing was that afterward, he was so active, even becoming the lodge members president, that I had to call to find out when he was free to see me!

Boredom

This thing called boredom is a difficult one for me because myself I just can’t understand what being bored is. Even when I had the most mundane of jobs, I could always find something about the work to keep my mind occupied.

Having said that, I do know some people do get bored and find it difficult to shake off. Ask then why they feel bored, and they don’t have an answer. Ask them what they would like to do, and they don’t have an answer for that either. Boredom can have a negative effect on your life. It can make you feel angry or frustrated. For example, bored people often overeat. The most damaging result of boredom in depression. Far too many who can’t get themselves to think outside of themselves end up in state of depression.

People who complain of boredom don’t’ find relief from it in TV or reading, they will say that doing so is just more boring.

Most often boredom is caused by lack of stimulation. Many people find that they need external stimulation, something to get excited about, a reason to do something. If this describes you in any way, it is time to find something meaningful to focus on. A new hobby can be helpful, spending time helping others is anther method for focusing on something with purpose. That is, of course, the goal, to find something that has us aging consciously and dong so with a purpose.

A new hobby can be helpful, spending time helping others is anther method for focusing on something with purpose.

Spending time helping others is anther method for focusing on something with purpose.

Giving back through hands-on charity work.

Whatever your choice make sure it is something that requires not only thought but action. Getting up and out is something too few of us do. Doing things that require us to think about our next action stimulates the brain in ways that sitting and complain never can.

The goal, of course, with all of this, is to find something that has us aging consciously and dong so with a purpose. It is that purpose that keeps on track for not aging consciously but aging well, happy and long.